#hostages #bodies #release #gaza
The New York Times reported that Israel agreed to return the bodies of 26 Palestinian militants to the Gaza Strip in a deal brokered by Egypt, ending a crisis that threatened to destabilize the already fragile cease-fire in the region.
Under a truce deal reached on October 12th, 2014, Israel pledged to release the remains of the militants in exchange for a halt in rocket fire from Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza. However, Israel repeatedly delayed carrying out the commitment, saying that the deal left out a stipulation requiring the release of Israelis and the bodies of two soldiers killed in the battle. In response, Hamas used the deal as proof of Israel’s duplicity, portraying its commitments as nothing more than empty promises.
After Hamas militants carried out a cross-border raid into Israel on February 19th, kidnapping an Israeli soldier and killing an Israeli civilian, Egypt mediated the release of the militant bodies as part of negotiations to broker a cease-fire. To meet the one-month deadline for the deal, Israel shipped the remains by sea through the strictly enforced blockade of the Gaza Strip. Hamas hailed the release as a victory, stating that it proved that the organization’s military wing could force Israel to honor its commitments. However, Israel’s defense minister warned that the cease-fire would continue only as long as the militants kept their end of the bargain and refrained from abductions.
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